The present application claims the priority of the commonly owned copending German patent application Serial No. 100 06 124.9 filed Feb. 11, 2000. The disclosure of the above-referenced German patent application, as well as that of each U.S. and foreign patent and patent application identified in the specification of the present application, is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to improvements in machines and/or apparatus for applying printed matter to running webs of paper or the like, for example, for applying printed matter to running webs in machines or production lines for making rod-shaped articles of the type wherein a tubular (cylindrical) envelope or wrapper surrounds one or more fillers, such as rod-shaped fillers consisting of or containing tobacco and/or filter material for tobacco smoke. Examples of articles or products or commodities which can be turned out by machines or production lines to which the present invention pertains or can pertain are plain or filter cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, other types of smokers"" products, catamenial tampons and many others.
It is customary to provide the tubular wrappers of cigarettes and other rod-shaped products of the tobacco processing industry with printed information denoting the trademark(s) and/or the name and/or other data pertaining to the manufacturer. The information can be applied in such away that it extends longitudinally or circumferentially of the wrapper of a finished product or in part longitudinally and in part circumferentially. The information can be unicolored or multicolored and can include one or more words, logograms, pictures or the like. The application of such printed information in a readily discernible form, at the customary location and/or in proper color(s) or combinations of colors is desirable to the consumers as well as to the manufacturer.
The application of printed matter to the webs or strips which are to be converted into tubular envelopes or wrappers of smokers"" products, catamenial tampons and many other rod-shaped commodities normally involves the utilization of an imprinting apparatus which receives printing ink from one or more sources and includes a combination (hereinafter called train) of cooperating rollers which process the ink and apply it to the part or parts (such as one or more stamps or analogous applicators) which actually contacts or contact predetermined portions of a running web of cigarette paper, imitation cork, so-called tipping paper and/or other strip-shaped materials which are utilized to confine rod-like fillers made, for example, of natural, reconstituted or substitute tobacco and/or filter material for tobacco smoke. A preferred location for an imprinting apparatus which can be employed to apply printed matter to a running web or strip of cigarette paper is disclosed, for example, in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,285 granted Jan. 22, 1991 to Radzio et al. for xe2x80x9cMETHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ASCERTAINING THE DENSITY OF WRAPPED TOBACCO FILLERS AND THE LIKExe2x80x9d.
A drawback of presently known imprinting apparatus which are utilized in cigarette making and like machines is that they are not capable of invariably ensuring acceptable, satisfactory or optimum application of printed matter under all circumstances which can be expected to arise in cigarette making, filter rod making, filter cigarette making and analogous machines wherein rod-shaped fillers are confined in tubular envelopes or wrappers bearing printed matter which must appear at a predetermined locus of each finished product, which must be plainly legible and/or otherwise discernible, which is applied in one or more colors and the application of which does not necessitate a slowdown of the machine or production line in which the application of printed matter takes place.
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved apparatus which can apply printed matter to a running web or strip of paper or the like in a manner which is superior to that achievable by resorting to presently known printing or imprinting apparatus.
Another object of the invention is to provide a compact, simple and relatively inexpensive apparatus which can automatically compensate for numerous changes of circumstances under which the application of printed matter takes or should take place.
A further object of the instant invention is to provide a novel and improved method of treating printing ink in the path between one or more sources of printing ink and the locus or loci of application of properly treated or processed ink to a running web or strip of paper or the like.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved combination of rotary and other parts in apparatus for applying printed matter to the constituents of rod-shaped smokers"" products.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide novel and improved adjustable rotary components for use in an apparatus which serves to apply printed matter to running webs or strips in cigarette making or related machines.
A further object of the invention is to provide a machine which employs one or more imprinting apparatus of the above outlined character.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide an apparatus which is capable of maintaining the consistency of printing ink at an optimum value even when one or more parameters which influence such consistency undergo unexpected and pronounced changes.
An additional object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which can automatically compensate for changes in temperature, for expansion and/or contraction of certain component parts, for changes in the speed or speeds of certain rotary and/or otherwise movable parts, and/or for changes in consistency of printing ink in a reliable, time-saving and optimal manner.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an imprinting apparatus which can be put to use in many existing cigarette making, filter rod making and analogous machines as a superior substitute for heretofore known and utilized imprinting apparatus.
A further important object of the instant invention is to provide a novel and improved imprinting apparatus which can apply trademarks, manufacturers"" names and/or other printed matter to a running web of cigarette paper or the like at the rate required in a modern high-speed cigarette making and/or processing machine or production line which is set up to turn out huge quantities of smokers"" products per unit of time.
Our invention resides in the provision of an apparatus which can be utilized to apply printed matter to a running web of paper (such as cigarette paper or tipping paper) or the like. The improved apparatus comprises a source of printing ink (e.g., one or more nozzles), a mobile web-contacting imprinting member, and a roller train which is arranged to convey printing ink from the source to the imprinting member and includes a plurality of rollers. At least one of the rollers has a resilient peripheral portion (e.g., in the form of a hollow cylinder or sleeve) which contacts at least one other roller of the roller train, and the improved apparatus further comprises means for biasing the resilient peripheral portion of the at least one roller against the at least one other roller.
The biasing means can include means for urging the resilient peripheral portion of the at least one roller against the peripheral surface of the at least one other roller with a variable force.
The roller train can include the at least one roller, the at least one other roller, and a third roller; the resilient peripheral portion of the at least one roller can contact the peripheral surfaces of the at least one roller and of the third roller.
The apparatus can further comprise means (such as a motor-driven shaft) for rotating one of the at least one roller and the at least one other roller, and the resilient peripheral portion of the at least one roller is then in such pronounced frictional contact with the peripheral surface of the at least one other roller that it can transmit torque between the at least one roller and the roller or rollers having peripheral surface(s) in frictional contact with the resilient peripheral surface.
The at least one other roller can be mounted in such a way that it is rotatable about a predetermined axis and that it is also oscillatable in the direction of such axis; this can exert a desirable influence upon the quality of the film of printing ink which is being transported by the peripheral surfaces of the rollers constituting the roller train.
The means for urging the resilient peripheral portion of the at least one roller against the peripheral surface of the at least one other roller can include at least one prestressed resilient element (such as a coil spring) and an eccentric which is interposed between the at least one resilient element and the resilient peripheral portion of the at least one roller. The arrangement can be such that the at least one roller is rotatable about a first axis and the eccentric is turnable (when necessary) about a fixed second axis which is at least substantially parallel to the first axis to thus move the resilient peripheral portion of the at least one roller sideways in a direction at least substantially radially of the at least one other roller. The resilient element is arranged to bias the resilient peripheral portion of the at least one roller in the aforementioned direction, i.e., radially of the at least one other roller. The eccentric can be at least partially confined in the at least one roller; such eccentric can constitute a hollow cylinder.
A first portion of the coil spring can react against a stationary member, and a second portion of such coil spring can at least indirectly bear upon and can tend to turn the eccentric about the aforementioned second axis. The stationary member can include a wall, and the improved apparatus can further comprise a ring which is coaxial with and is affixed to the eccentric; this ring is or can be acted upon by the second portion of the coil spring. Such apparatus can also comprise disengageable rotation preventing means for the stationary member.
The eccentric can be mounted in such a way that it is oscillatable in the direction of its axis, and the improved apparatus then preferably further comprises means for yieldably opposing oscillation of the eccentric; such opposing means can comprise a diaphragm spring which reacts against a retainer (such as a sleeve) and bears upon an end face of the axially oscillatable eccentric.
The source of printing ink can include at least one nozzle which discharges printing ink into a nip of two rollers of the roller train, for example, into a nip defined by the at least one roller and the at least one other roller.
In accordance with one presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the roller train includes four rollers which are rotatable about at least substantially parallel axes and include a driven first roller, a second roller which is driven by the first roller, a third roller which is driven by the second roller, and a fourth roller driven by the third roller. The at least one roller constitutes the second or the fourth roller, and the at least one other roller constitutes one of the first and third rollers. Each of the second and fourth rollers can be provided with a resilient peripheral portion.
If the fourth roller is provided with a resilient peripheral portion, such portion can apply ink to one or more stamps of the mobile web-contacting imprinting member. Such imprinting member can constitute or include a further roller which is rotatable about a predetermined axis (e.g., about an axis which is parallel with the axes of the rollers forming the roller train) and has a peripheral surface provided with at least one stamp which contacts the running web of cigarette paper or the like once during each revolution of the further roller about the predetermined axis.
The roller train can be installed in or at the wrapping mechanism in a cigarette making machine.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved imprinting apparatus itself, however, both as to its construction and the modes of assembling, installing and operating the same, together with numerous additional important and advantageous features and attributes thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of certain presently preferred specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.